Brain&Brain Press Kit: Burly Men at Sea

Factsheet

Developer:
Brain&Brain
Based in United States

Release date:
September 29, 2016

Platforms:
Steam (PC/Mac)
Humble Store (PC/Mac)
Itch.io (PC/Mac)
iOS (Universal)
Android
Apple TV

Regular Price:

USD	$9.99 (PC/Mac)
USD	$4.99 (Mobile)

Description

Burly Men at Sea is a folktale about a trio of large, bearded fishermen who step away from the ordinary to seek adventure.

Set in the waters of early 20th-century Scandinavia, the game's story branches through a series of encounters with creatures from folklore. The player acts as storyteller and wayfinder, shaping the narrative around three ungainly heroes as they set sail for the unknown.

History

Burly Men at Sea is the second game from husband-and-wife team Brain&Brain, developed during their own adventures as nomads and erstwhile farmhands.

Pre-production began in the months following the release of Brain&Brain’s first game in 2014, with Brooke initially working solo. David left his job at Pixar in the fall to join full-time, and soon after, the project moved into development.

In October 2015, Brain&Brain set out as nomads, traveling the country and briefly working as part-time farmhands to support the game's development.

In early 2016, Brain&Brain announced backing by Indie Fund. The game was released on the road later that year.

Features

Branching story for multiple choice-driven adventures, each designed to be completed in a single sitting.
Innovative controls, with a narrative shaped by interaction and discovery, paired with a unique draggable viewport mechanic.
Colorful aesthetic with handcrafted animation, set to a whimsical original soundtrack inspired by the game’s Scandinavian setting.

Videos

Burly Men at Sea Release Date Trailer Vimeo

Burly Men at Sea Trailer Vimeo

Burly Men at Sea Teaser Vimeo

Screenshots

Download .zip (734KB)

Logo & Icon

Download .zip (75KB)

Awards & Recognition

"IndieCade Showcase @ E3 Selection" - E3 (2017)
"Intl. Competition of Independent Computer Games Nominee" - Anifilm, Czech Republic (2017)
"Now Play This Exhibition Selection" - Now Play This, London (2017)
"Excellence in Narrative Honorable Mention" - IGF (2017)
"Mild Rumpus Selection" - GDC (2017)
"Best Story Game of 2016" - Rock, Paper, Shotgun (2016)
"Top 10 Video Games of 2016" - TIME (2016)
"10 Most Beautiful Video Games of 2016" - TIME (2016)
"Best 50 Apps of the Year" - TIME (2016)
"Best 2D Visuals Nominee" - Unity Awards (2016)
"Game Shack Pisa Showcase Selection" - Internet Festival, Pisa (2016)
"New Games We Love" - Apple (2016)
"Games and Playful Media Exhibition Selection" - A MAZE. / Johannesburg (2016)
"Indie MEGABOOTH Selection" - PAX West (2016)
"Best Adventure Game/RPG Finalist" - Intel Level Up (2016)
"Game Happens! Showcase Selection" - Game Happens!, Milan (2016)
"Indie MEGABOOTH Selection" - PAX East (2016)
"Top 10 of EGX Rezzed" - Red Bull (2016)
"Top 12 of EGX Rezzed" - The Guardian (2016)
"Leftfield Collection Selection" - EGX Rezzed, London (2016)
"Gamer's Voice Single Player Award Nominee" - SXSW (2016)
"Made with Unity Showcase Selection" - GDC (2016)
"The MIX 5th Anniversary Showcase Selection" - GDC (2016)
"The MIX + Patreon Developer Showcase Selection" - GDC (2016)
"Day of the Devs Selection" - San Francisco (2015)
"IndieXChange Gametasting Selection" - IndieCade (2015)
"Indie MEGABOOTH Selection" - PAX Prime (2015)
"The MIX Showcase" - SIGGRAPH (2015)

Selected Articles

"We're totally charmed by this eclectic adventure."
– App Store Editor's Notes
"It’s a tiny-but-then-not-tiny, lovely thing with so much character and a wonderful sense of adventure."
– Rock, Paper, Shotgun
"…Artful interplay of visual minimalism, waggish writing and hilarious but also haunting sound effects generated by gorgeous a cappella voices. 5/5"
– TIME
"Burly Men at Sea demands to be played. 9/10"
– Pocket Gamer
"Underneath its unabashedly indie exterior, Burly Men at Sea is a modern, minimalist folktale that does almost everything right."
– Adventure Gamers
"You had me at "large, bearded fishermen", Burly Men at Sea, then you reeled me in with your talk of a branching narrative, and your lovely art."
– PC Gamer
"Delightful."
– The Guardian
"Burly Men at Sea is as charming as it is beautiful."
– IGN
"Burly Men at Sea is the second game from husband and wife team Brain&Brain, and it is a freaking delight…This game was thoroughly charming and beautifully animated."
– Pixelkin
"The most pleasant surprise for me from the entire convention…The simplistic controls along with crisp art style and luscious soundtrack help lend to a story that I'm ready to get lost in!"
– Crunchyroll
"Strolling through the Indie Megabooth at PAX Prime, Burly Men at Sea stood out thanks to its clean, charming art direction."
– Destructoid

Additional Links

Development Blog
The creative side of our process: blog.brainandbrain.co.

TIGSource Dev Log
The technical side of our process: forums.tigsource.com.

About Brain&Brain

Boilerplate
Brain&Brain is game dev duo David and Brooke Condolora. Most recently, they developed folktale adventure Burly Men at Sea during their own adventures as nomads and erstwhile farmhands. They’re now based in an old mill in the Ozarks with their indomitable cairn terrier, Oliver Doggins, who inspired their first game and accompanies them on all dog-friendly escapades.

More Information
More information on Brain&Brain, our logo & relevant media are available here.